Timer

How to use it

1. Type the hours, minutes and seconds.
2. Press Start. The button changes to Pause.
3. Press Reset to go back to the time you set.

The time left is also shown in the browser tab, so you can keep an eye on it while working in another tab.

How it works

When you press Start, the timer works out the clock time at which it should finish. It then checks the device clock several times a second and shows the difference. Because it compares against the clock, and does not simply count ticks, it stays accurate when the browser slows down a background tab.

Common timings

Use	Time
Soft-boiled egg	6 minutes
Hard-boiled egg	10 to 12 minutes
Brushing teeth	2 minutes
Pomodoro work session	25 minutes
Pomodoro short break	5 minutes
Plank hold for beginners	20 to 30 seconds

The Pomodoro Technique, devised by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, breaks work into 25-minute sessions separated by short breaks, with a longer break after four sessions.

Limits

• The page must stay open. Closing the tab or the browser stops the timer.
• On phones, the alarm may not sound once the screen locks, because phones pause web pages to save battery. Keep the screen on, or use the phone’s built-in clock app for anything important.
• Browsers only allow sound after you have interacted with the page. Pressing Start counts.
• The longest time is 99 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds.